BEFORE THERE WAS HARRY- THE GRADUATION
by Cassandra Day
Summary: The story of Lily and James's seventh year at Hogwarts, along with there friends. Part 1 in a trilogy to be called 'BEFORE THERE WAS HARRY'


THE INVITE  
  
CHAPTER 1  
  
"Sirius!" Lily Richardson called down the hall. "Hi Lily." He said turning to the sound of her voice. "Wait up!" Lily yelled and she sprinted down the hall to catch up to Sirius. "Have you seen-" "James is in the common room." Sirius told Lily. Then he turned quickly: "Yo! Renee!" he called to Lily's friend Renee McWinter. "The Quidditch schedule is pinned in the common room. James just stuck it up." Renee nodded, waved and dashed off.  
  
"Like I said, he's in the common room." Sirius told Lily and disappeared. She starred after him mouth gaping, sometimes she had the feeling Sirius could read minds, but then again, who else would she be asking about? She sighed and headed to the common room.  
  
Inside it was busy and loud. Shouts and laughs from old friends and new friends being made, the sounds of laughter and talk rang from every corner. But something was wrong. Lily scanned the common room. There they were. James Potter, Peter Petegrew, and Remus Lupin. Sirius's three best friends. What was wrong was James and Remus weren't at the center of attention. It was strange; they were usually the noisiest, rowdiest and most comical faces in the room. Now they were hunched over a large piece of parchment at a table in the corner of the room. Lily started toward them. When she was standing right behind Remus she cleared her throat. "Oh, Um, Hey Lily." James said quickly as Peter stuffed the parchment out of site.  
  
"Why aren't you guys in the middle of the common room making noise?" She demanded. "And more importantly," Renee said coming up behind Lily. "You guys haven't said a word to us all day. It's second day of term. Hello! Reality check, you're supposed to talk to us. "Yeah, whatever." Remus said under his breath.  
  
He instantly wished he hadn't. "Remus Lupin." Elizabeth Cauldronbubble, Renee and Lily's other best friend said getting up from her chair in front of the fire and walking over, arms folded. "Yes, Oh Elizabeth the Great, Mistress of mockery, what ails you?" asked James sarcastically. "James, don't." Lily pleaded with him mentally. She wasn't in the mood for a war of the sarcastic and the strong on the second day of term. "Oh, forget it." Peter said yawning. "Stay out of this Peter." Elizabeth snapped at him. "Oh, look, it's an invasion." Sirius joked coming out of the portrait hole and looking at his friends. Renee shot him a look of admonition and he got the message.  
  
"So," Lily said hoping to change the subject. "How are you guys? What happened over the summer?" She asked cheerfully. "Oh, nothing." James yawned. "If you call spending all summer working out Quidditch strategies nothing." Sirius muttered. Elizabeth giggled and Remus shot Sirius a knowing eye. Everyone knew that Elizabeth liked Sirius, and recently they're friends had joined forces to get them together, so what if they spent most of their time yelling at each other?  
  
***  
  
That night in the girl's dormitory Lily sighed. She buried her face in her pillow. It had been a long day. It was a Saturday. They never had classes on the weekend so they had some time to catch up with school before it officially started.  
  
She lay there on her bed. Just thinking. At that moment Elizabeth came in. "Your thinking about him." She accused. "Who?" Lily asked dreamily. "Who do you think, huh?" asked Elizabeth. "Ja-ames." It was her annoying singsong I- know-everything voice. "Yeah, I guess I am." Admitted Lily. "But, Hey, I'm gonna get him to take me to the Christmas ball." She told Elizabeth who rolled over laughing.  
  
There was a knock at the door. Elizabeth got up and answered. "You're not supposed to be in here." She said. "Shut up and let me talk to Lily." It was James. Elizabeth let him in, snickered then left the room, leaving the two alone. She stuck her head back in and gave an "Oooooooo" before Lily threw her pillow at her and she closed the door.  
  
"Um, Lily." Said James. He was really nervous. "Yeah?" she asked scooting over to make room for him. "D'you wanna go to the Christmas ball with me?" he asked her. "Sure." She said with out thinking. "All right." James smiled. There was a yell and the sound of braking glass down in the common room. "I'm guessing that was probably our friends?" asked Lily brightly. James heaved a fake sigh and walked her down to the common room.  
  
  
  
A SECRET  
  
CHAPTER 2  
  
Do you know how dangerous that is?!" Renee was shouting when Lily and James came down from the girl's dormitory. "We've been doing it for years Renee!" Remus was shouting desperately.  
  
"What?" asked Lily. Sirius nodded to James and he started to explain to her. "Lily, Um. Remus is a werewolf-" "That much we know!" Renee snapped at James. "and, We're all-" he motioned around to Peter Sirius and himself. "We're animagus." He paused for a moment to let this sink in. Lily stared open mouthed. "Excuse me?" asked Elizabeth who was sitting a few feet away. "We're animagus." James repeated. When no one said anything except for Renee mumbling something angrily James continued. "Dumbledore worked this all out." "Except for the animagus part- That was us." Sirius told them. "Anyway, there's a tunnel under the Willow out on the grounds it leads right to the shrieking shack. So when we found out about Remus in third year, we all decided that if we became animagus then we could tag along. Every time he turns into a werewolf Madam Pomfrey takes him down there and he transforms in the tunnel. We would sneak out under the cloak and join him. Then we all go around Hogsmead, the castle the grounds, and everything. Of course we were animals so he wont hurt us." When he finished he stared at the two girls. Renee was still fuming. Lily and Elizabeth were still staring.  
  
Finally Lily found her voice. "Wha- What can you guys turn into?" she asked finally. "Sirius can turn into a dog, James can turn into a stag and Peter can turn into a rat." Remus replied. Lily swallowed hard. "Not you too." Groaned Sirius. "Well, I have to agree with Renee that it is kind or dangerous, but." she trailed off. Elizabeth interrupted her. "That sounds cool! How long did it take you?" Sirius grinned and began to explain everything. Renee was still furious.  
  
"But wait a minute." Said Lily when she finally found her voice again. "How did you find out Renee?" "She was eavesdropping." James joked. "No, she overheard us talking about next week's wandering." He corrected himself catching an infuriated glare from Renee.  
  
It was nearly mid-night before the girls ran out of questions. When they realized the common room was empty they went to bed.  
  
***  
  
The next week Renee wasn't speaking to James, Remus, Peter, or Sirius. Lily was trying to get them to make up but she quickly found out it was pointless.  
  
They views on the matter were taken quite differently. Renee wasn't talking to Elizabeth either, because Miss Adventure Elizabeth Cauldronbubble was getting really interested and Sirius had begun to teach her about becoming an animagus. Lily tried to hide her curiosity but it soon became clear that she was also on the guy's side. "Fine, just tell me when you're all expelled and headed back to the muggle world right before graduation!" she shouted at Lily who was trying to have a rational talk with her but failing terribly. She finally gave up to let Renee calm down and then have a talk.  
  
"Oh, by the way Lily," said Renee to her one day "When you guys all get sent to the hospital wing because Remus bit off your heads guess who's not going to be paying you a visit!" she shouted before she turned around and stormed off. "Renee!" cried Lily but Renee had disappeared.  
  
It continued for three days like that until evening when as they were walking from charms to potions James pulled her aside. "Tonight." He said. "We're going out tonight." "James-" Lily started. "Um. I think that Renee might be right." "Not you too." mumbled Sirius again from behind. "No, I'm just saying that-" "Lily," Remus rounded on her. "Renee is over reacting. I mean, geez, we've been thinking about it carefully and we've thought up all these extra safety measures for you girls if you wanna come along tonight." Lily gulped. Remus and Sirius turned to James. "You make her see sense." Sirius said and the two departed.  
  
"Lily, I see your point but don't worry. You've got all day to decide if you want to come, and. And no one will be mad at you if you decide not to come. Maybe you could stay here and get Renee to come to her senses." "I- I'll come." She managed.  
  
***  
  
At eleven thirty that night when everyone had left the common room. And everyone was asleep Remus was gone "to visit his ailing grandmother" there was a light knock on the girl's dormitory door.  
  
"Elizabeth? Lily?" it was Sirius. "Come on." Elizabeth tugged on Lily's arm and they grabbed their cloaks.  
  
  
  
THE DANGER  
  
CHAPTER 3  
  
Over here girls." Elizabeth and Lily turned to see James in the shadows. "Under here." He whispered. The girls followed the sound of his voice and he draped his invisibility cloak over them. "You ready girls?" Lily heard Sirius's voice somewhere to her left. "Come on then," James said from somewhere to her right. The next thing she knew she felt a hand on her shoulder steering her through secret passages she had never been through, or even knew about.  
  
"How long have you guys been doing this?" Elizabeth whispered as they climbed a staircase hidden behind a huge tapestry with the Hogwarts seal embroidered onto the front. "Oh, two years or so." Muttered Sirius as James steered Lily and Elizabeth into a trap door on the floor.  
  
After about ten minutes of complicated passages they reached a back door to the castle. Pulling off the cloak Sirius thrust open the door. When they were out Peter slammed it behind them. Lily looked back and it had disappeared. "Where-" "You can't see it from the outside. Blends in too well." Said James squinting in direction of the whomping willow. "There he is." He mumbled pointing to a figure ducking into the roots of the silent willow. A second later the branches began thrashing and thumping. "I think it's clear now." Said Sirius. "Stand back you two." He added. Lily and Elizabeth retreated to the wall.  
  
In seconds James, Peter, and Sirius were three animals, a stag, a rat, and a dog. The stag nodded its head at the girls and started walking off. They followed.  
  
While they walked Lily looked around her. This was an angle she had never seen before. There, off to the far right, a light was shining in the gamekeeper's hut. She opened her mouth to say something but Elizabeth shook her head violently. 'How does she know so much about secret midnight adventures?' thought Lily. Suddenly, out of the blue an image flashed in her mind, a flash bulb went off and she didn't have a chance to take a good look, but she knew what it was anyway. Someone getting attacked, next to the willow. Attacked by a werewolf.  
  
She shook off the thoughts as they walked along. As they reached the willow, Peter scampered through the swishing branches and pressed a knob on it with his front paws. The tree froze. The three boys transformed. "Okay, here's the deal you two, we'll get Remus, you two stay out of the way and under the cloak. When we come out, just follow us. Tonight we decided to stop by Hogsmead; you wouldn't believe how cool it looks at night. We have to go before this tree gets moving again."  
  
Almost as quickly as James finished he and the two other boys disappeared into the tree roots.  
  
"D'you know how this is supposed to work?" asked Elizabeth. "No, but I'm still not okay with this." Said a voice behind the two. "Renee!" Lily gasped. "Who'd you expect, the Easter bunny?" asked Renee. "Are you still mad at us?" asked Elizabeth testily. "Maybe." Said Renee slyly. Just then they heard a roar. "That'll be Remus." Said Renee with a grin.  
  
Sirius, James, and Peter came running out of the tree and they momentarily transformed but not before James yelled at Lily. "LILY, GET UNDER THE CLOAK!" he bellowed. Lily screamed. Renee and Elizabeth had hurried off to the side and she couldn't see them (obviously). Obviously panicked James rushed in front of Lily while Sirius tried to fight off Remus. Remus however was unstoppable. Peter had run off. James was trying to shield Lily, while Sirius was still trying to fend him off.  
  
"LILY! RUN!" Lily heard Renee and Elizabeth shouting.  
  
What happened next happened so fast that no one had time to react. Remus charged after Lily. James was knocked out of the way, and Sirius wasn't able to restrain him. Remus knocked Lily down. She hit her head on a rock and knew no more.  
  
***  
  
"Lily?" Lily heard a voice. Far off, distant, foggy. The words reached her brain slowly. She slowly opened her eyes. It took a moment for her to see in focus.  
  
"LILY?" It was urgent, concerned. Lily groaned, and raised her head a few inches. She looked around. She was lying on the grounds, by the lake. James, Elizabeth, Renee, Sirius, and Peter were all standing around her looking worried. "Are you okay?" Elizabeth was as white as a ghost. "You look as if you've seen a ghost." Said Lily. Everyone laughed a little but pretty soon solemn looks came over them again. "Really Lily, are you okay?" asked James. He looked very concerned. Lily was a little surprised. She knew that he liked her but... "Yeah, I'm fine if you guys could just tell me what happened. Where's Remus?" " You don't think we'd let him go on roaming the grounds do you?" asked Sirius disbelievingly. "No way, we forced him back into the tunnel." "Okay, so really, what happened? And why does my head hurt?"  
  
For the first time Lily put her hand behind to the back of her head. She felt a small lump. "He attacked you." James replied shaking his head in bewilderment. "Remus attacked you." "He wasn't Remus just then!" snapped Renee. "I told you all that if you went on with this ridicules plan that something was going to happen!" "First of all, let's go get back to the common room. I really don't fancy being caught by Hagrid out here in the middle of the night." James offered. "He hasn't been to fond of us since we set off a few dung bombs in his pumpkin patch." He added with a mischievous grin.  
  
  
  
SHOCK AND SURPRISE  
  
CHAPTER 4  
  
There's still one thing I don't get." Said Elizabeth once there were all sitting in front of the fire in the common room. "How'd you find us Renee? Did you follow us?" "You guys were so scared that someone would find you that you didn't bother to check if anyone was behind you did you? You made so much noise you weren't too hard to follow, even if you were under that cloak." She said. "But, thats beside the point, don't you guys realize you could've gotten Lily killed? Not to mention that if I was still mad you'd all be expelled by now." She added. "Tell a teacher and pay the price." Sirius warned waving his wand threateningly in front of Renee's face. She pushed his hand out of the way. "You wouldn't." "Wouldn't I?" he asked with a devilish grin.  
  
Lily, James, and Elizabeth took one look at each other and stepped in front of the two. "Oh, will you two get a grip?" asked Elizabeth.  
  
"You know it wouldn't hurt you all to get a life as well." Came a voice from the corner of the room. Peter had been silent for a while. Sirius and James turned to gape at him. "What was that all about?" James demanded. Lily and Renee backed away to the wall, sensing an argument coming on, but Elizabeth had other ideas.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" she asked. She, James, and Sirius were all standing around Peter. "Nothing." Said Peter with a shrug. He pushed his way through the group of them and he went on up the spiral staircase to the dormitory.  
  
"What was that all about?" whispered Lily once Peter had slammed the door in their faces. "I don't know, but I'm really getting mixed signals from him." Sirius answered with a scowl.  
  
For a while after that they all just sat around for a while. Lily and James started a game of chess but it was so late that they both could barley tell the pawns from the bishops, and started to play without a purpose. Finally the lot of them went up to bed.  
  
***  
  
"What's up with him?" asked Remus wearily after Peter slammed the classroom door in their faces as they were heading to charms. "Haven't got a clue." James said quickly before Sirius started up again. He'd been up all night listening to Sirius muttering. Remus realized that something was going on. "What happened that night?" he asked quietly. "You attacked Lily." Said James, he said it as if it was nothing but Remus noticed a strange look flicker into his eyes. He shook it off as James began to relive the night's events.  
  
"So Renee was right." He said slowly after he heard it all. "What else is new?" asked Sirius with a yawn. "Are you sure she won't tell?" Remus asked with a concerned look on his face. "Hey, Renee is no snitch, plus, she wont tell after what I said to her." Said Sirius with a snigger. "I don't think that she'll be a problem." Said James. "But I am a little worried about Peter." He added. "If that little-" began Sirius but Remus cut him off. "Forget it, We'll just have to live with it if he does, but I highly doubt he will, who'd look out for him if we weren't there?" Sirius considered this and decided that Remus was right.  
  
As they spoke they were walking past the library on their way to lunch. Remus saw Renee inside poring over a thick book on the history of runes. He thought for a moment. He knew that James was with Lily and he knew for a fact that if Sirius and Elizabeth would stop yelling at each other for a few minutes they would realize that they liked each other. Sirius had even told them he like Elizabeth once. With out pausing to think he turned to his two friends. "I need to grab a book for potions. I'll be right there. Go on ahead, I'll catch you up." James shrugged and turned to leave but Sirius gave him a 'Go-For-It' look and he left.  
  
Remus pretended to look around the selves for a moment and then he casually sat down next to Renee. "Hi." She said absent-mindedly as she started to look up something for an essay she was writing.  
  
"Um- Renee, can I ask you something?" he asked her. Renee looked up. She was surprised. What could Remus possibly have to say to her, after his best 2 friends had spent the previous night yelling at her?  
  
"Um, sure." She said. "Uh- There's no use beating around the bush- will you go to the ball with me?" Whatever Renee had expected, it wasn't that. She dropped her quill and it blotted ink all over her essay but she did nothing. "You don't have to- if you don't want to." Remus added hastily. "No, I want to go, I was just surprised... Sure I want to go!" she recovered. "Really?" he asked her. "Yeah, sure, why not?" Renee asked with a smile. "Okay, bye." Said Remus. He turned around and hurried after his friends.  
  
"No book." Observed Sirius slyly. "Yeah, they didn't have what I needed." Said Remus hoping they wouldn't guess the truth. "Mmm Hmm." said James doubtfully, but he didn't pursue the matter.  
  
"Renee?" asked a small voice from somewhere in the invisibility section. "Yeah?" called Renee, earning a severe look from Madam Pince. "Did Remus just ask you to the ball?" it was Elizabeth. "Wouldn't you like to know?" answered Renee coolly as she grinned in direction of Elizabeth's voice and walked out of the library.  
  
  
  
THE QUIDDITCH MATCH  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
There was a definite negative aura around Peter these days. Remus, James, and Sirius had all noticed and experienced it. They all wanted to believe that he would never rat them out but... There was something there; it was as if a knife had cut through their bond of friendship. It wasn't only the guys and Peter; they were beginning to disagree as a group.  
  
Remus was beginning to take Renee's side in the argument about going out. She was still holding a grudge about it. When Sirius mentioned the fact that Renee was bewitching him, James got aggravated. "There's no bewitching involved!" he practically yelled. "What, I suppose next you'll be telling me that Lily's doing something to my mind!" "Hey, I didn't say anything against Lily!" Sirius hastily defended himself but James didn't listen. Of course the girls all took the sides of the boys they liked and everyone went to bed mad.  
  
The next day nothing had changed. They walked to classes as couples and didn't speak amongst each other. Peter was all alone, but somehow he had gotten to be friends with the Slytherins. This baffled all of them. What could Peter possibly have to say to the Slytherins?  
  
One day when the argument was wearing down Sirius bitterly turned to James. "What's wrong with that guy!" he exploded. "I don't know, but-" "I don't know either." Interrupted Remus from the next table "Maybe we should just let him get along with them. "You know, let him cool off." Remus reasoned. "We've all been friends for seven years, and Sirius and I have been even longer, I think that if Peter just cools off a little, we can all get along again." "That's just like you Remus!" Elizabeth burst into the conversation. "Try to make everyone happy again. Saint Remus. Sometimes people just have fights and move on!" "Elizabeth!" Lily begged her, but she went on. "Personally, I think that that guy is gone and we should let him go." She said. Sirius privately agreed but he and Remus had just made up so he didn't feel like starting all over again. "Hey James, when's the next Quidditch match?" he asked averting a huge Elizabeth tantrum. "Uh..." James thought for a moment. "October twentieth." He said. "Cool! Hogsmead is the next day!" Lily said brightly. Everyone agreed that two days off was a good thing.  
  
It was just then that the portrait hole opened. It was Peter. He walked in. "Look, there's Peter. Lets make up with him," said James. Sirius probably had some sarcastic comment for this but he kept it to himself. The six of them got up and walked over to Peter. He ignored them. James was the first to extend the hand of friendship and Sirius was the last, as expected. Pretty soon, they had all made up but there was still something...  
  
As Lily climbed into bed that night and she thought about it she lay there. Yes, there was defiantly something that wasn't usually there, a coldness about Peter that somehow didn't fit. Had those Slytherins had a bad influence on him? After all, this was Peter. He was the most timid of the group. What could he be involved in? While she pondered the answers to these questions, Lily drifted off to sleep.  
  
The next day dawned bright and early. It was perfect for a Quidditch match. James had been tougher then ever on the Gryffindor team this year. Renee was less then happy about this, but as Sirius put it: 'When has she ever been happy about anything we ever did, before?'  
  
Sirius and James had also been nagging Elizabeth to join the team, and after much argument, she agreed.  
  
That left Remus, Lily, and Peter to cheer for their friends. Lily and Remus had already agreed not to aggravate Peter, but they were agreeable enough put together not to get on his nerves or cause him to have to jinx any one, though if he tried, he probably wouldn't manage.  
  
That our friends were sitting in the common room. Remus was working on his charms homework before the match, James and Sirius were discussing the tactics they were using this match, and Elizabeth and Renee were talking about the match too. Lily was nervous. Peter was still pretty mad at them all. And Sirius's frequent yelling at him didn't help much. Still, Peter wouldn't try to hurt any of her friends... Would he?  
  
Lily shook the thoughts away as she and Remus wished James, Sirius, Elizabeth, and Renee good luck and headed down toward the common room.  
  
"You don't think Peter will try to hurt any of them do you?" she asked anxiously. Remus's answer wasn't welcome. "I don't know, he's been really edgy these past few weeks, ever since..." he stopped, a group of Slytherins headed down toward the Quidditch field had heard him. "No, I don't." he recovered. Lily swallowed hard. How much had those Slytherins heard? Why didn't Remus want to tell her? What was he hiding? These questions haunted her for a long time after.  
  
Meanwhile, James was giving the team his typical pep talk. "Look you all, today should be a good game, we're playing Slytherin, but they don't have a very good team this year. Just try to stick to the tactics we practiced and we'll all be okay. Let's go."  
  
The whole team walked out of the locker room. Elizabeth was nervous. She was playing beater. Sirius was the other beater, Renee was a chaser, and James was seeker. Amy Johnson was also a chaser, and so was Christina Taylor.  
  
Out on the field the teams mounted their brooms and at Madam Hooch's whistle they kicked off into the air. Christina, Renee and Amy kicked off hardest and they spun into the air. Gryffindor took the Quaffle almost instantaneously. "C'mon Chris!" Shouted James as Christina sped toward the goal posts. Her path was clear, and the Slytherin keeper was who knows where. He hadn't shown up for the match. Probably sick.  
  
James was searching frantically for the Snitch, Sirius was trying to stop all the Bludgers that were pelting toward his team mates, Elizabeth was trying to help, but every time she tried to hit one away, it swerved and started at a different person. Renee, Chris, and Amy were all doing their best. With no keeper this was a piece of cake for them. Pretty soon they had over fifty points while Slytherin was down at ten.  
  
Suddenly James saw it. The snitch was hovering a few feet from the Slytherin goal posts. He glanced at the Slytherin seeker. He was looking in the other direction, and didn't seem to be watching James. This was his chance. He dived. There was an uproar from the crowd. He sped toward the snitch. It was at arm length, it was at his elbow... He was just about to close his fingers around it when a bludger came pelting out of nowhere. It hit him hard in the head, he fell to the ground, and knew no more.  
  
  
  
THE SHOCK  
  
CHAPTER 6  
  
Lily sat in mute horror as she watched James fall, through the air, and down onto the field. She leapt to her feet and screamed. No one heard her. Everyone was yelling, talking, shouting to one another. Sirius was down on the ground within seconds and he was bent down over James trying to revive him.  
  
Remus grabbed Lily's hand, and pulled her down under the bleachers. She wondered how he knew about this passage to the Quidditch Field and then she remembered that they had probably explored the field too.  
  
Remus pulled her down through the bleachers and within seconds they were on the field. No one was there yet. The two ran down to where James was lying. The rest of the Gryffindor team had already assembled beside him. Lily gasped.  
  
James was out cold. There was a bloody gash on his forehead where the bludger had struck him. Lily staggered backwards and fell onto the ground. Renee pulled her up and stabilized her. Lily smiled at her. A moment later Madam Pomfrey came running. "Oh Dear!" she said, but just the same she magicked James onto a stretcher and hurried on up to the castle with him floating in front of her.  
  
Sirius looked up. He was white as a ghost and he looked as if he was in complete shock. The moment passed. He spotted Lily and hurried over to her. "He'll be fine." He assured her. Lily nodded and she realized that Sirius's shock must be reflected on her own face. Remus gave Sirius a nudge in the ribs. He nodded. "Let's go." Sirius said to Lily, Elizabeth, and Renee." They nodded and all five of them ran up the lawn and up to the castle.  
  
When they reached the hospital wing, they found James lying in a bed still unconscious. Madam Pomfrey looked at the five of them reproachfully but didn't say anything except "He'll be fine." Somehow, Lily didn't feel reassured.  
  
  
  
  
  
HALLOWEEN ATTACKS  
  
CHAPTER 7  
  
James woke up and he felt unbelievable dizziness. He put a hand to his forehead and felt a bandage there. Memories of what had just happened flooded back. "James?" asked an anxious voice. It was Sirius. The hospital wing swam into focus. "Yeah?" "Are you okay?" asked Lily from behind Sirius. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" James asked innocently. Renee groaned. "Don't make jokes." She snapped at him. "Well what else is he supposed to do?" asked Remus with a grin.  
  
"Where's Peter?" asked James realizing he wasn't in the hospital wing. "Who knows?" asked Sirius. "Who wants to know?" challenged Elizabeth. No one could argue with that. Or if they did, they didn't express any desire to.  
  
As they left the hospital wing something dawned on Lily. "Hey, Remus, was Peter at the Quidditch match at all?" Remus took a minute to answer. All the others were listening intently. "I didn't see him," he admitted. "I did." Replied Sirius dully. "You did?" Remus was skeptical. "In the Slytherin part of the stadium." He added. "Excuse me?" demanded Elizabeth. Sirius nodded wildly. "B-But I thought-" Lily didn't get to finish her sentence. "I knew something was fishy with that guy!" Renee burst out, but Remus silenced her as they passed a group of whispering Slytherins.  
  
Several days later James made a recovery and was allowed out of the hospital wing. The next morning he and Lily received letters that read as follows:  
  
Please note that the Head Boy and Girl are required to help carve the Halloween jack-o-lanterns for the Great Hall on October 31st. Please meet Professor Sprout in front of the Green Houses at seven o-clock this evening to begin the carving. You may bring friends to assist you in this project. Happy Halloween.  
  
Lily and James exchanged glances of remorse. "I'll get the Sirius and Remus, you get the girls." Whispered James. Lily nodded.  
  
That evening Sirius, Remus, James, Lily, Renee, and Elizabeth stepped out onto the grounds and walked down to the green houses together. Lily and James's friends had been less than happy to assist.  
  
"How did you two ever talk us into this?" grumbled Sirius as they descended down the slope of the lawn. James laughed. "What, you think it's easy to be this persuasive?" he asked. "Well, all I know is that having the two most persuasive people on the face of the earth as our best friends is more like a curse then a gift." Remus evaluated. Now it was everyone else's turn to laugh.  
  
By this time they had reached the green houses, and Professor Sprout was waiting for them, surrounded by at least a hundred round orange pumpkins. Lily heard Elizabeth groan.  
  
"All you need to do is carve all these. I have some suggestion patterns over there if you need some suggestions. Just finish up and you can leave." They were all silent. Renee was a little angry with Lily for making her do this but there was nothing she could do now.  
  
Some time in the midst of her fifth pumpkin Elizabeth gave an exasperated cry "That's it! I'm taking a short cut." She pulled out her wand and flicked it twice. The pumpkin was carved into an unpleasant leer in about two seconds. The others followed her suit. Pretty soon they were done.  
  
"Elizabeth, why didn't you think of using magic to carve the pumpkins sooner?" Sirius asked agitatedly as they walked back up to the castle. Elizabeth shrugged.  
  
The next evening the great hall looked spectacular. All the pumpkins they had "carved" hung airborne. As they sat down and the feast began Lily couldn't help but think that something didn't quite feel right, a moment later she found out what.  
  
Lily and Elizabeth were chatting about the pumpkin carving last night when suddenly a scream echoed through the hall. Lily looked up and saw that the pumpkins above the Hufflepuff table had started pelting down onto the Hufflepuffs. She and her friends watched in shock as pumpkin after pumpkin fell onto the Hufflepuffs, and after the broken pieces rose and shot down again.  
  
The Hufflepuffs scattered and ran. Lily jumped to her feet and started toward them but James grabbed her arm. She turned and gaped at him. He was shaking his head in a bewildered way. "What's wrong with you?!" she shouted at him. "Lily, Don't go near them. They don't need any more reasons to think we did this. Don't you see? We worked on the jack-o-lantern. We are going to be suspected of trying to bewitch them to hurt someone. We can't get any more involved." Lily blinked away tears as she saw everyone in the Great Hall scampering, as the Hufflepuffs were tripping over each other trying to get out. Some were out cold on the ground.  
  
Lily got up and ran out of the Great Hall. James sighed and ran after her. The other girls were horrified and Sirius and Remus were doing their best to comfort them. When it became quite clear that this wasn't the best place for it they took they girls up to the common room where James was already consoling Lily.  
  
"It's okay." He muttered in a low voice. He had his hand on her shoulder. She was shaking fiercely and there was nothing he could do about it. When the other two boys walked in and sat down next to them Lily had stopped crying but she was still shaking uncontrollably. "James, what are we going to do?" Sirius whispered hoarsely. "They'll think we did this." "Why would we?" Elizabeth burst out. "Who knows?" asked Remus bitterly. "But I think I know who did do this. "Remus, I know what your thinking but I also think you better forget it. I don't think Peter could do anything so terrible." How wrong she was.  
  
  
  
PETER''S SECRET  
  
CHAPTER 8  
  
Peter may have had something to do with the Halloween attacks, but no one gave him a thought. Without any benefit of the doubt, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Renee, and Elizabeth were suspected instantly, the second word got out that they had carved the pumpkins, and no one wanted anything to do with any of them.  
  
"I can't believe this!" Lily cried one day after class on their way to the library.  
  
The six of them had taken to traveling in a group to avoid being caught alone by any vengeful Hufflepuffs.  
  
"How can they think we would do something like this?" she asked James. "It's just like Hogwarts students. Target and shoot down first, ask questions later." He told her. "Well, I mean, James, she has a point, look at this." Remus said indicating a group of Hufflepuffs that were looking daggers at them and looked ready to kill.  
  
Sirius shuddered. It wasn't like any of the Hufflepuffs to want to take revenge. They always got along so well before all this happened. Renee seemed to be thinking along the same lines. 'It's just not like them." She said in barely more than a whisper, as she dodged the foot of a Ravenclaw that had been stuck out in front of her trying to trip her. "And the Ravenclaws are taking sides too." Elizabeth pointed out with a sigh. When they reached the library they had to hush their voices, but they were all speaking in hushed tones ever since Halloween so it didn't make much of a difference.  
  
As Remus wandered around the invisibility section he heard a voice, it was Peter. He could only catch snippets of the conversation but he was sure that it couldn't mean anything good.  
  
"No...Friends?...No. Not any more...Yes they still think so..." "Good... Yes...Proceed with plan...Yes...Kill...Yes...no more."  
  
Remus was stunned. What did that mean? Who was going to kill whom? Then it hit him: Peter was saying that he and his real friends still thought that they were all friends but they really weren't, and who ever the other voice had belonged to was telling Peter to 'proceed with the plan' and kill them so they became no more.  
  
He stumbled out of the invisibility section and around the bookcase to Peter.  
  
"Y- Hi Remus!" Peter said brightly. Remus decided to play along. "Hi Peter. Do you know a title of some book about shrinking potions? I still have that essay to write for class."  
  
Peter gave him the name of some book and Remus hurried back to the other five. HE quickly told them to meet him in the common room in five minutes. The urgency in his voice made them all listen. Instead of going to the common room right away, Remus pretended to be looking for the book Peter recommended and he checked it out just in case Peter decided to check.  
  
Once Remus had explained everything to the remaining five in the common room, everything was deathly quiet. Everyone else was either in the library or at Hogsmead so they were the only ones there. "To think we trusted that guy!" spat Sirius acidly. "B-But" Lily began but Remus cut her off. "Lily, for once Peter might turn out to really be a rat. I don't think any of us should go anywhere near him. Lily was a little taken aback. It was seldom that Remus took the role of the leader, but for once Sirius and James were leaving that position open and Remus was filling it.  
  
Renee had been thoughtful. "But, Elizabeth and I have divination with him, Professor Trelawney grouped us up for the rest of the term and we're his partners. What can we do about that?" "You two are his partners?" James asked looking as if he hoped he hadn't heard right. Elizabeth nodded mournfully as if she had just announced her own death sentence. "Listen you guys. We're all worrying too much! I mean, he can't try anything in front of a teacher and if he did he probably wouldn't managed. We'll be safe as long as we stick together and try to stay away from him. Just stick together that's all." Lily said. Elizabeth nodded, but she didn't seem to have the ability to speak. But hey, what if someone you've known for seven years suddenly turns his back on you and starts plotting to kill you. Wouldn't you freak out?  
  
"I guess thats true." Said Sirius, speaking for Elizabeth and him. He just hoped that Lily was right.  
  
  
  
THE RESCUER  
  
CHAPTER 9  
  
It was drawing near Christmas time and all of Hogwarts still had its back turned on the Gryffindor Jack-O-Lantern group. James, Lily, Renee, Remus, Sirius, and Elizabeth were all seriously doubting they would be going to any Yule Ball at all.  
  
James had talked to Professor McGonnagal who had agreed to cancel all Gryffindor Quidditch Practices and games, because none of the Gryffindors would cooperate with James, Sirius, Elizabeth, or Renee. Amy had thrown the Quaffle at Elizabeth's head and Chris had tried to hit James on the head with a bludger, but Sirius noticed in time and pelted it back at her.  
  
It was hard for all of the friends. Watching everyone turn on them one by one. Some professors had even told them they could be excused from class if anyone tried to be nasty. Lily and James knew perfectly well that if anyone so much as looked wrong at Sirius or Elizabeth then they would take advantage of the opportunity to get out of class. Renee and Remus were a different matter all together. They were more likely to try and memorize the ingredients of a potion together, then try to get out of class. Lily and James were dealing, but barely. Being Head Boy and Girl in a school of students who think you tired to kill one fourth of them isn't easy.  
  
It was hard for anyone to find some one to trust these few days. Groups of tight friends stuck together, no one tried to make new friends, and everyone was on highest alert. It was harder on Remus then anyone. He was the one who heard Peter's plotting. Not Sirius. Not James. Why did it have to be him? WHY?  
  
He asked himself these questions over and over again, every day, but he never found an answer. Every night he heard those voices, the voice of the person who he thought was his friend, and was sleeping about ten feet away, and the voice of some one else, helping in the plotting.  
  
"No...Friends?...No. Not any more...Yes they still think so..." "Good... Yes...Proceed with plan...Yes...Kill...Yes...no more."  
  
They replayed in his head in every spare moment. He winced every time they did. How could they have ever mistaken Peter for a friend? Then one day, he changed his mind...  
  
It was the day of the Yule Ball. The icy looks and acid comments from students had been coming lesser now, and it turned out that Lily and James were required to go anyway, so Sirius, Remus, and their dates decided they might as well go too.  
  
Up in the girls' dormitory, it sounded like there was a tornado, an earthquake, and a hurricane combined with an Elizabeth tantrum. It was loud and the whole common room was shaking below them. Yells of 'Take the blue one or the pink one!' and 'I don't care which dress you choose, just as long as you choose one!' came billowing down the stairs.  
  
Remus, Sirius, and James all stood around in their dormitory and they got dressed in their dress robes. James was trying to flatten his hair and Sirius and Remus were watching him in annoyance.  
  
"Oh, come on James! You know you'll never be able to make your hair lie down flat! Just come on. Maybe the noise from the girls side will be more muffled in the common room." Said Sirius, yelling over the noise.  
  
James sighed as he nodded and turned around to go with his friends but something caught his eye. Peter had just slipped through the door out of the common room. How had he gotten in? Then James remembered the old secret passage from inside Peter's closet. He shuddered to think that maybe some night Peter could just slip in and kill them all. He shook away the thoughts. They had no proof Peter was an enemy. Not yet anyway.  
  
It happened so fast. Sirius was walking down the corridor to the common room when a suit of armor started to fall. He was trapped and had no way to escape. Any second it would crush him... Elizabeth was coming down the girls staircase. She screamed. Peter glanced up and saw the suit of Armour falling... falling... he rocketed out of his seat and sprinted over to Sirius, knocking him out of the way of the sword that was ready to slice his head open. Sirius was okay and he jumped to his feet shaking a little but he shuddered once and then he turned to Peter who had been hit on the shoulder by the knight's helmet. "Are you okay?" Sirius asked uncertainly. "Yeah." Mumbled Peter but when Sirius tried to pull him to his feet he winced. "My shoulder feels like it's been fractured or something." He said.  
  
"Ohmigod! Sirius are you okay?" asked Elizabeth running over to where they were. "Y-Yeah, f-fine." He managed and gave Elizabeth an 'I'll-tell-you- later' look, just as Remus and James came down the stairs. "Sirius what happened?" asked James. Explained everything. They all agreed to take Peter up to the hospital wing. Elizabeth whisked off and got Lily and Renee who heard the story on the way to the hospital wing.  
  
After they had dropped Peter off, the remaining six headed down to the Great Hall for the ball. "So, we were wrong about him all along?" asked Lily hopefully. "I just can't believe it." Muttered Remus. "I saw him in the library plotting. I heard him!" Renee smiled. "Maybe it was an evil clone who is going around making all sorts of horrible accidents happen to us, and plotting to kill us." "RENEE!" Everyone said in unison. "It was just an idea." She said brightly. Elizabeth rolled her eyes.  
  
THE TRUTH?  
  
CHAPTER 10  
  
After Peter's sacrifice, Remus was even more confused than ever. He had heard Peter plotting, yet here he had just fractured his shoulder for Sirius. There was only one thing to do. He had to get him alone. Talk to him.  
  
When no one was looking at Remus he silently slipped out of the hall. He would have to explain to Renee and the others later. He hurried up the grand staircase and up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey looked at him suspiciously but didn't say anything.  
  
"Remus? What's going on?" asked Peter. He looked scared. Why should he? Though Remus. "I need to get some things strait here Peter." Said Remus. Even he was surprised by the coldness in his voice.  
  
"Remus, wh-" "Oh, stop lying Peter! I heard you plotting to kill us that day in the library! I heard you, I know!" Peter was taken aback. "Remus! Don't be an idiot! Haven't you ever heard of spying? Working from inside enemy lines? That's what I've been doing. That's what you saw! Believe me!"  
  
He sounded desperate. Good. Thought Remus. Intimidate him. That was what he needed to do. Peter looked frightened. Hopeful almost. Why should Remus believe him? What reason did he have not to?  
  
"Whatever." Remus muttered, but he didn't move. "How do I know your not lying?" he asked. "How can I prove it?" whispered Peter. Remus didn't know what to say. This was something Sirius would be doing, asking so many questions not trusting. Not himself. What had gotten into him? He was relived when Madam Pomfrey came in and yelled at him telling him to get back to the dance. "I believe you." He said to Peter as he stepped out into the corridor.  
  
Back in the hall Remus sat down at a table and dissolved into thought. He didn't even notice Sirius slide up next to him until he was rapping on his head. "Hello? Anybody home?" he asked. "Oh, Hey Sirius." Said Remus. He had a far away, 'I-don't-really-see-you-just-go-away-and-let-me-think', look in his eyes.  
  
James came over and sat down. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked. "You'll have a job getting it out of him." said Sirius. "He won't say anything. He just sits there." James looked at Sirius with a 'Spill Now' look. Sirius shook his head.  
  
Suddenly James had an idea. He jumped up and scanned the hall. There she was. He ran over to Renee who was talking to Lily. They both looked up when he skidded to a stop right in front of them.  
  
"Renee," he said breathlessly. "Remus is hiding something. Sirius and I can't get anything out of him. Can you try?" "Sure, but I doubt it. He wouldn't even tell me he was a werewolf until about a year ago, after we all knew." James rolled his eyes. "Just get over there!" he said impatiently. Renee shrugged and scuttled off.  
  
"What's wrong?" Lily asked once Renee was out of earshot. "I don't know," said James "but Remus won't tell us something and we're getting worried. It's not like him. He's a terrible liar. I mean, look, how many times did his grandmother die before we finally got the fact that he was a werewolf out of him?" Lily shrugged. She glanced over at Renee and Remus. They were getting up from the table and they headed out of the hall, in direction of the gardens.  
  
James noticed a mischievous sparkle in her eye. "Forget it Lily." He said playfully. "What?" she asked innocently. "I'm not getting the cloak to follow them." He said. "Oh, you're no fun!" complained Elizabeth who was closely followed by Sirius. "Come on, James!" said Sirius.  
  
Sirius could talk an invisibility cloak out of a solid rock. Thought James bitterly; cursing the fact that Sirius was so influential, as he hurried up to the dormitory to get the cloak.  
  
"Remus, come on, what is it?" Renee was wheeling when they arrived in the gardens. "She's still only this far? Geez, maybe he can keep a secret better then we thought." Said Elizabeth. Sirius smiled. Remus wasn't usually to good when it came to not telling something. Sure enough he was already explaining everything to Renee.  
  
Lily shivered. It was cold out here. "I'm going back inside." She whispered to James. She slipped out from under the cloak and hurried back toward the hall, but Renee saw her out of the corner of her eye. "LILY!" she gasped. "Are you spying on us?" "Wouldn't you like to know?" she asked in an annoying sing-song voice that she put on when she was taking pleasure in something like this.  
  
Renee narrowed her eyes at Lily. "The others are out here aren't they? Under James's cloak." Lily grinned more broadly and before Renee could say anything else she ran off.  
  
Remus eyed the bushes. "I think your right. They're right here listening to our every word. Come on you guys, get out, or are you too afraid?" he challenged. He knew perfectly well that Sirius was not one to be called a coward and he would be provoked by that last comment.  
  
"Sirius, don't!" Elizabeth moaned. "They'll kill us!" she whispered. Unfortunately, Renee's excellent hearing picked up the whisper. "Over there." She said pointing to where they were standing. "Time to run?" asked James under his breath. "I reckon. On three?" it was Sirius. "One, two, THREE!" yelled Elizabeth. They threw off the cloak and took off running onto the grounds, with Remus and Renee following behind, yelling at them. Lily wandered out into the garden and burst out laughing at the sight. James and Sirius trailing the cloak behind them, with Elizabeth on their heels; and Remus and Renee chasing them. It was amusing. When Renee heard Lily's laughter. She took off in that direction, leaving Remus to the other three. She chased Lily right over to them, and all six of them collapsed on the frosty ground laughing, and gasping for breath.  
  
"Maybe we should do this more often." Came a voice from the ground. "Shut Up Renee." Everyone said together.  
  
THE PARTY  
  
CHAPTER 11  
  
Lily sighed. She pushed her book aside and rested her head in her hands. "I'll never learn all this." She muttered. Remus turned to her. "Come on Lily, your the best student in our year. You'll do fine on the exams." He said. "You make it sound like you won't." she shot at him. He couldn't argue with that, and he didn't want to.  
  
Sirius and James came through the portrait hole, looking exhausted but they seemed to be planning something.  
  
"Remus," James said walking over but he stopped when he saw Lily. "Oh, c'mon, James, she'd find out anyway." Sirius urged him. "Lily, you know how we can always get stuff for parties and everything? Well, we found a secret passage to Honey Dukes from in the castle. I think it's about time for a little stress reliving celebration." James said. Remus grinned. "Get the cloak." He said.  
  
An hour later they returned with bags full of sweets and butter beer. A party was in process within minutes, but something was wrong. James glanced around the room. Lily wasn't taking part in the festivities. This was unusual. She wasn't a very rowdy person, but she never missed a chance to party along with the rest of her friends. This time she was sitting far away, in a distant corner. She looked thoughtful and she was staring off into space.  
  
James walked over to her. "Hey Lily." he said to her. "Oh, hi, James." She said absentmindedly. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm fine why wouldn't I be?" she asked him. "Nothing, your just don't seem to be yourself." He said. She gave him a small smile. "It's weird isn't it?" she asked. "I mean, in a week we'll be leaving Hogwarts... Forever." James hadn't really wanted to think about that. It was hard to believe. "Yeah, I know, it's like, we're looking forward to graduation and everything, but we don't want to leave..." he trailed off. Lily smiled again, but didn't say anything. Sirius joined them in a few minutes and once again Lily had that feeling that he could read minds.  
  
"I can't believe that pretty soon it'll be our last day at Hogwarts." He said. Lily gulped "We were just talking about that." She said. James nodded. "It feels... I don't know, it's just like we're never going to see this place again, it's going to be hard to leave behind." James said quietly. "It's not just Hogwarts, it could be the same with some of the people." Lily said softly.  
  
Sirius looked at her and then at James. What were they thinking? He knew the answer, it was written all over their faces. James looked at him pointedly and he decided it was his time to go away, and from the look on James's face he was pretty sure that he meant now. "Try the gardens" he whispered as he left. Lily heard him. "Just go away, Sirius!" she laughed as James took her hand and they slipped out of the common room.  
  
Sirius smiled after them. He always knew those two were meant for each other.  
  
  
  
THE GRADUATION  
  
CHAPTER 12  
  
The day was there. It was a beautiful spring day, the sun was shining and the air was sweet. Lily was a bundle of nerves. This was it. The day she had been anticipating for seven years. Yet, was she looking forward to the graduation in a few hours, or was she dreading it because it meant the end of her childhood years? Her head was spinning, in nerves, anxiousness, the desperate struggle not to panic or cry, whether it was with joy or fear.  
  
"Man, I can't believe it's here, our last day around this place." Said Elizabeth. "Yeah, said Lily flopping back onto her bed. "Hello! Earth to Lily!" called Renee tapping on Lily's head. "Where is your head today? The most you've said to anyone today is 'yeah' or 'okay' or 'fine'" Renee sounded annoyed. "She's thinking about James." Said Elizabeth. "Oh, shut up and get packing, after Graduation we're leaving for the muggle world, so leave out a pair of muggle clothes, and remember that we need to be wearing our graduation robes today." She said. "What would we do without you Lily?" asked Elizabeth sarcastically. "You're about to find out aren't you?" asked Lily and she left the dormitory.  
  
As she sat down on a chair in the common room and assumed her thinking position Remus came out of the dormitory. "Hey Lily." He said as he passed. "Hi." He was a little surprised. Usually Lily was jumping to leave for holidays, but then he reminded himself that this was the last time she would be leaving Hogwarts for holidays and he felt a pit in his stomach, it was his last time too. He hurried back up the stairs. Something just didn't feel right. He felt like he had to get away from Lily, there was something wrong but he couldn't tell, she wasn't usually this way. Maybe James knew something... But one thing was certain: all of them were dreading that day.  
  
At precisely ten o-clock that morning Lily, James, Elizabeth, Sirius, Remus, Renee, and Peter met in the common room. All seven of them were wearing their graduation robes, black with gold and red trim and a Gryffindor seal on the right top part. They also had their graduation caps on, they looked exactly like the ones that muggle teens wore at their graduations.  
  
They all walked down to the hall in scared silence. The only sounds came from their own pounding hearts. It was nerve racking. They had been asked to come down early for some reason.  
  
Lily was supposed to give a graduation speech and she had stayed up all night proofreading it. She made every single one of them read it over and give her an "honest" opinion, but she didn't believe a single one of them except for James when they all told her it was terrific.  
  
As they entered the empty hall, Lily felt a strange sensation, just knowing that this was her last time walking through these doors made her feel queasy. "Lily, are you okay? You look a little pale." Renee asked her. "N- No, I'm fine, just thinking." She murmured.  
  
The seven of them took their spots in the hall and Lily got up to stand beside the podium. Minutes later students began to fill the hall, all shapes, sizes, and ages. This was the first year that all years would be witnessing the graduation of the seventh years. Why did it have to be this year??? Wondered Lily desperately but she calmed her self down as everyone took a seat and Dumbledore stepped up to the podium.  
  
"Well, another year gone, and another class graduating!" he proclaimed. "I must tell everyone that graduating this year from Hogwarts is the most accomplished class I have ever seen grow up in these halls. From the day they walked into this hall to be sorted seven years ago, I knew they would all be standing before me this day, to receive their diplomas and venture out of the protection Hogwarts has offered, and into the real world. Please welcome, the class or 1983, and our speaker today, Lily Richardson!"  
  
The hall burst into applause and Lily got up and wobbled over to the podium. She was nervous but one reassuring smile from James, and all her confidence came rushing back to her. She took out her speech and began:  
  
"Fellow Seventh-year students, seven years ago we walked through those doors to become students of Hogwarts. We formed friendships, and we found our "enemies", whether we were fighting or just hanging out we were always learning, thats what Hogwarts has done to us, turned us into well-educated, young witches and wizards.  
  
"At Hogwarts we weren't only taught how to cast a spell or simmer a potion, but we were also taught the skills of life, what we would use in years to come. What we would need in years to come.  
  
"Whether we were following the rules or trying to break them," she glanced at Sirius, James, and Remus "We formed a bond with everyone around us. It didn't matter if they were our best friend, or our best enemy. We will live with that bond for the rest of our lives, and we will need to use it well.  
  
"When we came through those doors, so long ago, we couldn't wait to start, now that we have learned all that Hogwarts can teach us, we will have to teach ourselves. We've been taught not to stop learning, and that is what I have found Hogwarts is all about.  
  
"Last year we couldn't wait to leave for home, to us that meant no more homework, no more studies, and summer, stretched out ahead of us. I'm sure that some of the sixth years must feel that way now, but this year went by so fast, and now as we graduate we feel sorrow. Not because we don't want to leave, we do, we want to use what we've learned, and make a difference in the world. We want to go, but do we?  
  
"We can't bear to leave behind these walls that we have grown up in. We're afraid to venture away from the place that has taught us, and protected us, but we are more afraid of losing our friends, the close bonds we have formed may not exist once we leave but they will always exist. It will be hard, but we're going to leave with great times to remember, a great education to live with, not only in magic, but also in life and friendship.  
  
"So as we receive our honors today, documenting and putting in writing what we already know to be true, that we have learned as much as we could be taught, all I want to say really is, Congratulations class or '83, WE DID IT!"  
  
The hall exploded with applause. Even some of the more humanitarian-like Slytherins were clapping. When she got back to her seat her friends were congratulating, but she heard only James's praise. "Great speech Lily." He said softly. His eyes held pride, and... Something else, what was it? Lily wasn't sure, but she flushed a deep red and James turned a little pink. He gave her a smile that clearly indicated he had something to tell her but didn't want to discuss it in front of their friends (mainly Sirius).  
  
They had to stop looking at each other a moment later when Dumbledore took the podium again.  
  
"That was wonderful, thank you Lily." Said Dumbledore, wiping a tear from his eye.  
  
"Now, it is time to pass out diplomas. When your name is called, please come up and accept your diploma.  
  
Professor McGonnagal unrolled a scroll and began to call names. Memories of the sorting ceremony many years before swept over Lily. Once again Sirius seemed to be reading her mind. "The sorting." He whispered, so quietly, she was certain she had to have been the only person to hear him  
  
"Black, Sirius" Professor McGonagall called out. Everyone started to clap, but his six best friends applauded loudest of all.  
  
Sirius walked up to Dumbledore who was taking diplomas off a large silver tray that Madam Pomfrey was holding. "Congratulations. Been sneaking out on full moons lately?" he whispered. Sirius looked at him in bewilderment as Dumbledore shook his hand.  
  
A moment later:  
  
"Cauldronbubble, Elizabeth!" Elizabeth turned beet red and accepted her diploma.  
  
After all her friends had received their diplomas Professor McGonagall called out:  
  
"Richardson, Lily!"  
  
A hush grew over the hall for a moment, and then it exploded. Lily turned twice as red as Elizabeth as she picked up her diploma and rushed over to her friends. "What was that all about?" she asked as the red died away from her cheeks. "They loved your speech, plain and simple." Said James and Lily's blush returned in full bloom. "Mmm hmm." Renee cleared her throat.  
  
Lily shot her a dirty look as James nodded his head toward the door. Lily looked at their friends hesitantly, but he smiled and said. "I already packed the cloak. Don't worry about them." With that he took Lily's hand and led her out to the garden. Sirius smiled at Remus. "I think he's going to do it." Elizabeth looked curiously at him. "I'm not saying anything." He told her. She sighed and she and Renee started in the direction that Lily and James had disappeared, but despite their curiosity Remus and Sirius blocked their way.  
  
"You can't try and tell me you're not dying with anticipation." Renee told Remus disbelievingly. "Come on, they're entitled to just a bit of privacy aren't they?" asked Sirius. "Sirius, I'm surprised, I thought you would want to know what your best friend is up to. " Elizabeth said but Sirius shook his head and a smile played along his face. "I already know what James is up to.  
  
Remus turned to him. "You do?" he asked. "You don't" Sirius was quizzical. Remus rolled his eyes. "What do you think genius?" he asked Sirius wasn't put off. "I would tell you except James would strangle me if I did. You'll find out when we get to Kings Cross." He said. The other three heaved sighs of dismay that Sirius could actually keep a secret sometimes.  
  
  
  
THE PROPOSAL  
  
CHAPTER 13  
  
Lily stared at James reliving the past few moments, wondering how, after he had been so nervous to ask her to the school dance how he had been so confident when he just asked her to marry him. Surely she was dreaming. She blinked. No, James was still there, sitting on the bench next to her looking hopeful.  
  
His words replayed in her mind, over and over again. She wanted to reply, to tell him yes, but she seemed to have lost the know-how to speak. "Uh, Lily, this a really serious question, but I don't know if I'll ever get another chance to ask it. I was wondering if... Lily, would you marry me?"  
  
"Lily?" he asked. "You don't have to, I mean, I just I love you, and I- I" "Yes- Yes, I love you too, I would love to marry you!" Lily managed. If James had been happy when Lily said she would go to the ball with him, it was nothing compared to what was going on in his head right that moment.  
  
She said yes stupid! Say something, She's going to marry you! Stop gaping and show some human response before she decides that you're a mindless robot who someone sent to ask her just as a practical joke! A little voice inside his head shouted. "Wow." He murmured.  
  
Lily felt the tension, she was surprised, normally she and James could talk about anything, but then again, this wasn't normal.  
  
"It feels weird doesn't it? Leaving Hogwarts I mean." Lily said. James smiled. "You know what else feels weird? The fact that we were trying to get the others together, and they ended up getting us together." They both laughed. "Hogwarts. It's hard to believe that we might never see this place again." Lily said in amazement. "It's also hard to believe that we're engaged." James murmured and the two watched a butterfly flutter by them on it's way to a flower nearby. He pulled a ring out of his pocket and he slipped it onto her finger.  
  
"Are we going to tell the others now, or make them suffer till we get off the train?" asked Lily playfully. "Well, Sirius knows I was going to ask you, so he wont stop nagging me 'til I spill the whole story, but no one else does, we should torture them." James grinned. "Why not?" asked Lily and her smile broadened as the two of them got up to join the others.  
  
  
  
THE LAST TRIP  
  
CHAPTER 14  
  
Sirius looked at James as he and Lily entered the hall. James noticed and winked. By the reactions he got when he and Lily reached the group, he knew that Sirius hadn't said anything about his plans.  
  
"James, what's going on?" asked Remus the second James was in earshot. "Why would something be going on?" Lily asked, answering before James had the chance to say a word. Remus saw that he wasn't getting anywhere and the three decided to take one final walk around the grounds before they had to go.  
  
As they walked Renee made one more helpless attempt to get Lily to spill everything, and then it was time for them to get on the train home. On the train they talked about all the times they had shared, from taking memorable classes, to Lily getting attacked by Remus earlier that year.  
  
"Hey, remember the time when Sirius hit the bludger at James right before he got the snitch? No one said a word to him all week because it cost us the game!" Renee exclaimed one time. Lily remembered. That mistake hadn't only cost them the match; it had cost them the Quidditch Cup.  
  
"Well what about when you were a chaser in fourth year and you accidentally scored five goals for the other team?" asked Sirius defensively. Everyone burst out laughing, even Renee.  
  
As the countryside sped by them later that afternoon, and as they pulled into Kings Cross, they said goodbyes, they promised to exchange letter, and they made plans to meet in Hogsmead over the summer, Lily, James, and Sirius kept silent about James and Lily's engagement.  
  
As they pulled into the platform James suddenly slapped him on the forehead. "Oh my gosh! I almost forgot to tell you guys something important." Lily rolled her eyes. She knew this was James's marriage announcement. "Well, What is it?" asked Elizabeth impatiently. James looked at every, single one of them then back to Lily. Sirius was getting sick of the stall too. "Oh, for crying out loud, James, just tell them!" he burst out. "Okay, okay," said James. "Lily and I are getting married." He waited for their reactions. They were just like he imagined.  
  
"WHAT?!" screamed Peter, Remus, Renee, and Elizabeth. "He asked me right after graduation and I said yes. You guys didn't see this coming?" Lily asked innocently. "Oh, well I'm so glad that you guys think we can read minds so you don't tell us anything." Elizabeth said sarcastically. Lily bopped her on the head with her wand and a few sparks shot out of it. "Hey! Watch it! You may have graduated Hogwarts but it doesn't mean you know what you're doing with a wand!" Remus joked. They laughed.  
  
"Students, please get off the train now, have a good holiday." A voice came over the intercom. The group of them got up and off the train.  
  
Then they searched around until they found their family. Lily dragged James over to her parents to introduce them.  
  
  
  
MEETING THE PARENTS  
  
CHAPTER 15  
  
"Mom! Dad! This is James Potter." Lily introduced her parents. "Where's Petunia?" she asked. "Oh, she's spending the night at a friend's house." Mr. Richardson said. "She doesn't have any friends." Lily's brother Andy said. Andy was two years younger than Lily and four years younger than Petunia. "Andy!" Mrs. Richardson scolded.  
  
"Um, James, don't you have something you want to tell my parents and my very rude and annoying little brother Andy?" 'Great Lily, just great, let me tell people I've never met before, that I proposed to you and that you said yes' Thought James. He smiled at Lily's parents and began. "Uh- Today before we left school, I asked Lily to marry me, and she accepted."  
  
A shocked, but not angry silence followed this announcement. "It wouldn't be until a few years or so," James assured them. "Lily's got a boyfriend!" Andy sang out. Lily ignored him. Her parents looked pleased. "Well congratulations!" Mrs. Richardson exclaimed. She sounded sincere.  
  
"Come on Lily, I wanna introduce you to my parents." James said after a short silence, following this exclamation. He grabbed Lily's hand and tugged her through the crowd of students still trying to get off the train.  
  
He pulled her over to two people who were looking around for someone. "Mum! Dad!" He called over to them "Hi James, where's Sirius? I thought he was spending the summer with us?" James's mother asked him. "Uh, I don't know. This is Lily Richardson." He introduced Lily to his parents. Mrs. Potter's eyes widened when she heard Lily's full name. She knew all about Lily, she'd heard a lot about her from James.  
  
"I- Uh, I asked Lily to marry me today, and, um, she accepted." James's parents were more intrigued by this news. "Well! Congratulations you two! When is it going to be?" James's father asked. "Well, we haven't thought about a date or anything, but we want to wait a few years, get jobs, find a place to live, and then, maybe two or three years." Lily explained.  
  
"Well, that's great! James, why don't you go find Sirius and we can leave. Lily, do you want to stay with us this summer?" James's mother asked. "Um, no thanks Mrs. Potter, I probably wouldn't be around much anyway, I need to work out where I'm going to work and everything, Thanks though." Lily and James disappeared back into the crowd. Lily had to go find Elizabeth and Renee. She kissed James on the cheek, as he went off to find Sirius and Remus. They wished each other a good summer and agreed to write back and forth.  
  
It turned out that they didn't need to say their goodbyes to quickly. The others were all in a group waiting for them.  
  
"Hey, where have you two been?" asked Elizabeth. "Meeting each other's parents." James said before Renee could make any stupid comment.  
  
The lot of them departed. Sirius went to stay with James, Remus and Peter went home, and Elizabeth had both Renee and Lily over for the summer.  
  
~END OF PART 1~ 


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